communicating for
LEARNERS
SPRIN G No.2
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology Spring Semester 2008
Celebrating a Year of Collaboration and Learning The Center, through the support of the Office of the Provost and the Graduate College, offered 10 learning communities (LCs) with over 130 faculty and graduate student members. These communities have worked collaboratively to provide resources, information, ideas, feedback, reflection, and support for one another. The members of the following LCs will gather for a celebration dinner in May. Congratulations to all! Active Learning in the Natural Sciences The goal of this learning community is to provide a foundation and support for Natural Sciences faculty interested in transforming their science classrooms to more interactive learning environments. Core Commitments Service-Learning This community supports the development of high quality courses using service-learning pedagogy addressing the development of personal and social responsibility and civic learning. Life Science Scientific Teaching and Reform The Life Sciences LC is interested in scientific teaching to explore the process of learning. Members approach this as an experimental problem: what does the research indicate regarding learning, how does it apply to courses, and how is success measured? New Faculty The New Faculty LC is comprised of a diverse group of first or second year BGSU faculty and focuses on discourse and experiences central to the members’ professional growth as teachers and scholars. Publication This learning community collectively tackles the pressure to publish and present its ongoing research. Each meeting is dedicated to helping members achieve their stated scholarly goals for the year by focusing intensively on writing and publishing, especially in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Pedagogy.
Research in Science and Mathematics Education Faculty, graduate students, and others with a common interest in the science of learning critique research articles and design, conduct, and present collaborative research projects related to how K-16+ students learn science and mathematics. Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL) The purpose of this learning community is to value, encourage, and engage in the scholarship of teaching and learning. The community and its members research and discuss professional practices leading to the development of scholarly teaching and enriched and meaningful student learning. STAR Journal (Synergistic Teaching and Learning) The STAR journal learning community is working to establish an open access, peer-reviewed, scholarly journal whose content focuses on synergies of scholarship. The Transition to Digital This community focuses on how using information and communication technologies in classrooms, both real and virtual, affects students. Additionally, members examine how decisions to use certain technological tools influence student learning. Web 2.0 Pedagogy and Scholarship Across the Curriculum and Community This learning community focuses on Web 2.0 and Second Life pedagogies that stress engagement with the community, exploring community connections and outreach through service learning.
Want to join a 2008–2009 Learning Community? Applications will be available in early July on the Center’s website at www.bgsu.edu/ctlt/